


the one where they're in high school

by fortunehasgivenup



Series: prompt fills [18]
Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Dating, F/M, Prompt Fill, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:34:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23806981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fortunehasgivenup/pseuds/fortunehasgivenup
Summary: Nobody really gets what Beth and Rio see in each other, but that's fine. They don't need to.
Relationships: Beth Boland/Rio
Series: prompt fills [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1608919
Comments: 36
Kudos: 251





	the one where they're in high school

**Author's Note:**

> Anonymous said: for a prompt would it be ok to write a brio high school au where beth and rio are dating/obsessed with each other and everyones just like what the hell!! they’re opposites!!! but they’re just so gross with each other haha
> 
> Now = the end of senior year, Then = winter of junior year and onward, Soon = five or so years in the future

(Now)

It’s almost summer, so Rio’s got the windows of his car rolled down as he presses her into the backseat. Beth giggles at the rasp of his newly grown facial hair against her chin and pushes at his head.

“Stop it!” she whines. “You’re going to make my neck all red!”

“Good,” Rio says, but he stops anyway. “You ever gonna tell me what’s got your panties in a twist?” 

Beth looks down at her hands, bites her lip. 

“See, ‘cuz I think it’s got something to do with prom,” Rio sits up, “but Mick said you probably just don’t want to put out.” He grins. “Didn’t tell him that you already have.”

“Rio!” Beth hisses, pushing him away with her foot as he laughs.

——————————————

(Then)

Beth waits by Ruby’s locker between first and second period, shooting glances down the hall at the group of boys joking around and shoving each other into lockers. Well, most of them are. Not Rio.

Instead, he’s leaning back against the wall and watching the others horse around with a faint smile on his face.

Like he knows she’s looking, his eyes drift from his friends and meet hers.

Frozen, Beth starts to panic, but then his eyes keep drifting.

Maybe it hurts a little, to not even have him pay attention to her. Even if he’s kind of a douche who spends most of his time fooling around - and yet still getting better grades than you, her treacherous thoughts remind her.

“How’s chem?” 

Beth turns her head and smiles at Ruby. “Awful. Calculus?”

It’s the start of a new term and junior year was no joke.

Ruby opens up her locker and leans towards Beth. “I’m sitting next to Stan Hill.”

“The guy who plays the trumpet?” Beth asks. She’s met him once or twice.

“Same one,” Ruby says. “Ready?”

They walk together to history class, whispering - or least talking as softly as they can in the halls - back and forth about whether or not Stan might be interested in Ruby.

It’s chaos in the classroom, but it’s one of the new teachers, so Beth’s not too surprised. 

Finally, the bell actually rings and most people calm down on their own.

“I’m Mr. Simmons,” the new guy introduces himself. “I see that you’ve seated yourselves, but I’m going to be breaking you up -“ there’s a groan that travels through the classroom, “to make sure that you spend time with people other than your friends. So, everybody up, I’ll go to a table and say who’s sitting there. It’ll be our attendance today as well.”

It’s alphabetical.

Glancing at Ruby, Beth grimaces, trying to figure out who’s going to be with her. 

“Elizabeth Marks,” Mr. Simmons calls out.

Beth steps forward. “I just go by Beth,” she tells him as she walks to the table. He nods and makes a note on his piece of paper. 

“Christopher Ramirez.”

Beth inhales swiftly and looks over her shoulder to the students still standing up. She hadn’t seen him when they came into class but he’s stepping forward, backpack hanging off one shoulder.

“Rio,” he says.

Mr. Simmons just nods and writes something down, continuing to the next table.

Beth takes her seat, back ramrod straight as she tries not to pay too much attention to Rio slouching in the seat beside her.

“We’re going to start today with a quick quiz,” everyone groans, “just so I can see what you remember. There are no grades, you don’t need to put your name on the quiz,” Mr. Simmons says as he hands them out. “This is just for me.”

“Hey.”

Beth jerks, then turns to look at Rio.

“Got a pen?”

She nods and pulls out her pencil case, ignoring his little smirk when he sees it. She’s about to pull out a blue pen, but instead, she passes him a pink one.

He raises an eyebrow, but he takes it. “Thanks, Elizabeth.”

Luckily, their test sheets arrive and Beth’s able to bury her head in it. It’s multiple choice, but Beth’s a little worried by how tricky some of the questions are. Did she really remember so little from last year?

Biting her lip, she circles C for question 8 and moves on.

Rio turns over his page so it’s face down and leans back in his chair.

He’s done already?

There’s twenty questions!

Beth has to fight the instinct to rush through the rest of the quiz, just to show him that he’s not the only one who can do stuff quickly. Instead, she takes her time, forming perfect circles around the letters before moving on. She finishes around the same time as most of the class and when Mr. Simmons asks them to bring the papers to the front, Rio’s out of his seat before she can blink, grabbing hers too.

She stares at him as he walks back to their table.

“What?” he says. “We didn’t both need to go up.”

They can’t talk for the rest of class, but at the end, Rio passes her back the pink pen with a grin. “Thanks, Elizabeth,” he says and gives her this little up and down look that has Beth feeling like her face must be on fire.

She looks over at Ruby, who’s staring at Beth, wide eyed. “What?” she mouths. Beth just shrugs. She has no idea.

——————————————

(Now)

“Fine,” Beth huffs. “Are we going to prom or not? We need to get tickets.”

Rio looks at her. “Prom,” he says, with a hint of disgust. “You really want to spend time with our classmates in the gym, covered in half ass decorations, watching half of ‘em puke their guts out when one of the football dicks goes a little too heavy handed when spiking the punch?”

“We get to dress up,” Beth counters. “I tell my mom that I’ll just crash with a bunch of friends from school afterwards because it’ll be so late that there’s no point in me coming home.”

“Oh?” He looks a little more interested. “And what are you gonna be doing?”

“Spending time with you, of course,” Beth tells him, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.

———————————————

(Then)

Beth catches Rio’s eye as she leans against Ruby’s locker, waiting for her best friend. He gives her a nod, which is really more of a chin raise than anything else.

And what’s she supposed to do in response to that? She lifts her chin in return and he grins. He says something to one of his friends and steps out of their little circle to come over to her.

“You finish your assignment yet, Elizabeth?”

It’s been over a month since they started sitting next to each other in history class and he’s _still_ insisting on calling her by her full name.

“Just need to proofread it,” she tells him, pretending not to notice when he shifts his backpack and his arms test the sleeves of his white t-shirt. Why does he have to wear such tight shirts? “Have you even started yours?”

He laughs. “Real funny,” he says. “You ever think about taking your act on the road?”

Beth just gives him a look. He hadn’t protested. “I’m not sure that my talents would be as appreciated as they should be.”

Ruby clears her throat and Beth jumps.

“Am I interrupting something?” Ruby asks as Beth scrambles backwards so Ruby can get to her locker. 

“No,” Beth rushes to say, but Rio answers a beat before her.

“Nah,” he says, “just trying to figure out what Elizabeth’s deal is.”

“Oh?” Ruby undoes the combination lock and yanks her locker open. “As her best friend, I know all the answers to that.”

“Ruby!” Beth hisses, jabbing her best friend in the side. 

“And one of the things that I’ve learned about Beth,” Ruby says as she swaps out her binders, “is that sometimes you just need to be real blunt with her.”

———————————————

(Now)

Rio sighs. “You really want to go to prom.”

“It’s a rite of passage,” Beth insists.

He snorts. “Just because every teen movie has a prom plot doesn’t make it an important life event.”

“Oh come on,” she presses against his side, “you don’t want pictures of us all dressed up?”

“Nope,” Rio answers, slouching down and wrapping his arm around Beth’s shoulders. “We could have our own prom. My brother’s gonna be out of town for a couple weeks and I’ve got the key to his place.”

“That is not what he gave you the key for!”

Rio laughs. “No? Then why’d he tell me to make sure I change the sheets and that I’d have to bring my own condoms.”

“He didn’t,” Beth gasps.

“He did.” Rio tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear. “He said that I’d better not make him an uncle yet.” Beth groans into Rio’s shoulder. “Sides, not like he’s got plants or pets or anything. And he could have just as easily left the key with one of his buddies.”

———————————————————

(Then)

Beth’s sliding her last binder into place in her locker when someone leans against the spot next to her.

"Elizabeth."

There's only one person who calls her that. "Why do you keep calling me that?" Beth sighs. "It's getting on my nerves."

“Maybe I like you,” Rio says.

“No you don’t,” Beth replies, zipping up her backpack. “You’re just being an asshole and it’s not funny.”

He blinks, straightens up. His expression turns a little sheepish. “Sorry,” he says quietly. Really, he mumbles it, but Beth’s so shocked that he’s said it at all that she doesn’t know what to say in reply.

“You should be,” she settles on. 

“But I’m serious.”

Beth stares at him. “What?”

He seems to be regaining his confidence after that brief stumble and Beth watches him straighten back up. “I like you,” he says.

“Why?”

“Oh, I gotta have explicit reasons?” he asks. “Want a three page essay?”

“And if I do?” 

His grin comes back. “Then you’ll need to wait while I write it, but it’d probably just be faster if you agree to go out with me.” He reaches up and his hand freezes for a second before moving a piece of hair off her forehead and tucking it behind her ear. “What do you say, Elizabeth,” he says like it isn’t a question. “Ever been kicked out of the movie theatre?”

Beth’s head jerks back. “No!” she gasps, horrified. She’s never been kicked out of anywhere!

“Come on,” he says, “it’s fun.”

Beth bites her lip. “I have to go catch my bus,” she tells him.

“I’ll drive you home.”

She’s seen Rio’s car. Like most of the cars kids at school are driving, it’s old. But unlike most of those cars, Rio takes care of his. It’s always shiny and runs like a dream.

“Come on,” he says, a little softer.

"Okay."

——————————————————

(Now)

Beth falls quiet, trying to figure out how best to convince Rio that going to prom isn’t going to be the nightmare he’s picturing it. They’ll have fun! They’ll dance, hang out with Stan and Ruby and then go somewhere - maybe his brother’s place, if it was still available - and spend the rest of the night alone.

Rio lets out a long breath. “Check the glove compartment,” he mutters.

Beth jerks upright, brightening. She practically climbs over the front seat to get into the glove compartment. There’s an envelope and Beth rips it open, crowing in victory when she sees the tickets.

“Ninety minutes,” Rio says, smacking her ass before using the belt loops on her jeans to pull her back towards him. “We stay for ninety minutes tops.”

Beth drops the tickets in the front seat and curls towards Rio. “Thank you!” she says, kissing his face all over. “I know you hate participating in things, especially school stuff. And social events.”

“And dressing up,” he adds. 

“And dressing up,” Beth repeats. “I know you’re doing this for me.”

“Yeah, well,” he shifts, “just don’t expect me to wear a tie. Suit jacket’s my limit.”

———————————————————————

(Then)

Beth puts a bobby pin in her mouth as she twists a piece of hair in order to pin it back.

“I just don’t get it,” she hears from the change room that connects to the bathroom. “He’s so fucking hot!”

There’s laughter.

“Don’t worry,” another voice calls out. “What’s the longest he’s ever dated anyone? Like two months? I’m pretty sure that was in the fifth grade. Believe me, there’s no way that he makes it to the summer with Beth Marks.”

Beth swallows. Her fingers tremble as she slides the bobby pin into place. Looks at herself in the mirror. 

“Like don’t get me wrong,” another girl chimes in, “she’s real cute. But like…guys like Rio don’t go for cute. At least not for long.”

Someone - the first girl, Beth thinks - replies, “Nah, she dresses like my aunt. It’s like she’s forty-five already.”

Beth grits her teeth and picks up her bag.

She turns to leave the washroom, but as she does, someone pushes open the door to the change room, laughing, only to freeze when she sees Beth. 

Beth doesn’t even know the girl’s name, just knows she hangs out with some of the more popular girls, who have made no secret of their shock that Rio would be dating her of all people.

The girl swallows, eyes wide.

And she’s just so sick of dealing with this petty jealousy, Beth maintains eye contact while she walks towards the girl. She can tell when the others see her because a hush falls over the change room as she comes into the doorframe.

Beth turns her head to look at the others. Most of them weren’t involved, but as she sees Jenny Holmes standing there in a towel and knows who started it.

“You know, Jenny,” Beth starts, “I’m not sure that you’re the best judge of what Rio’s into, considering how many times he’s turned you down.”

She leaves it at that and walks away.

———————————————————————

(Now)

Beth tosses a book into her locker and nudges Rio in the ribs with her elbow. “Do you really have to act like you’re my backpack?” she asks.

He laughs, but doesn’t straighten up.

“Tone down the PDA,” Mr. Simmons barks as he walks by them. 

“Sure thing,” Rio says, moving his arms like he’s unwrapping himself from Beth only to readjust his hold and drop his weight on her again.

Beth rolls her eyes. “I do have to go to class, you know,” she reminds him. “And so do you.”

“We could skip,” he suggests. “It’s almost the end of the year. You even doing anything in class anymore?”

They aren’t. Teachers have basically given up on getting the seniors to do anything at this point - so close to prom and graduation.

“We could go for a ride,” he says. She can practically hear him smiling as he says it. “I’ll even take you to that stationery store.”

Beth perks up. “You will?”

“Uh huh.”

“You’ll look at pretty tape and paper with me?” Beth turns to face him.

He shrugs. “Why not?”

Beth glances in either direction down the hall. “Fine. I need to be at the house when Annie’s bus drops her off though.”

“I can do that,” Rio says.

———————————————————————

(Then)

Rio won’t stop laughing until Beth practically pushes him off the back stoop.

“Shit, I wish I could have seen it,” he says with a grin, catching himself. 

Beth glares at him, but it doesn’t last long as she picks up the milkshake he’d brought her. Annie’s is on the step by Beth’s feet as her little sister zooms around the back yard, occasionally coming back in order to take sips.

His eyes focus on her lips as she sucks on the straw and she gets hot. “Rio,” she hisses, “Annie’s right there.”

“Really? Hadn’t noticed,” he drawls, right as Annie yells something and throws herself into their legs.

“I got an A on my math test,” Annie tells Rio proudly. He’d been giving her help with her homework when he came over to the house.

“Yeah?” He turns his attention to Annie. “Your teacher give you a sticker?”

Annie nods. “It’s a llama.”

“Neat,” Rio says, sounding like he really does care that Annie got a llama sticker on the math test he helped her prep for.

Beth lets her head fall against his shoulder and when he wraps his arm around her, she snuggles in a little closer.

———————————————————————

(Now)

Beth steps out of the house and spins for Rio, who’s leaning against the hood of his car, jacket undone, but wearing a black tie despite his protests. The blue skirt of her dress flares out around her, then falls again when she comes to a stop, facing him.

Annie claps from the porch.

“Hey,” he greets her when she walks to the curb. “You look beautiful.”

Beth grins.

“Yo,” Rio calls out to Annie, “aren’t you gonna take our picture?”

Annie’s delighted to be given a task and she takes it very seriously, directing them into poses beside the car and on the front walk. When Beth flips through the photos as Rio drives them to the prom, she finds one that she really likes and sends it to her own phone, immediately making it her background.

It’s the two of them, Rio leaning against the hood of his car, legs on either side of Beth, chest pressed against her back, but she’s half turned to look up and him and he’s leaning down to say something. They aren’t smiling exactly, but there’s something about the photo that just seems to exude happiness.

“Your sister gonna be a photographer someday?” Rio asks.

Beth puts the phones down. “She’s not bad. But I think she just likes bossing people around.”

“That a surprise to you?” Rio laughs. “Pretty sure it’s a genetic trait for your Marks girls.”

“Hey!” Beth protests, even as she laughs.

———————————————————————

(Soon)

Beth doesn’t notice Rio come back into the baking aisle of the grocery store. Her back’s to him and she’s occupied, talking to some guy who’s looking at her with way too much interest for Rio’s liking.

“What can I say?” Beth shrugs. “I like baking.”

“I’d love to try your stuff out some time,” the guy says, practically leering down her shirt. “I’m such a sucker for homemade food.”

Rio steps closer and the guy glances up at him, then dismisses him just as quickly, apparently not considering that he and Beth might be shopping together.

“I don’t sell my stuff,” Beth replies, growing a bit more uncomfortable. “Just family, you know?”

The guy laughs. “Why don’t we go out for coffee?” he suggests as Rio ambles closer.

“I’m not thinking her boyfriend’s gonna be too happy about that,” Rio says, sliding his arms around Beth to drop the tins of coconut milk she’d sent him for into the cart and kissing her cheek. “You good?” he asks, setting his hands on the cart just on either side of hers.

She turns her head and smiles up at him. “Yup.”

Rio grins at the guy as he and Beth keep moving down the aisle.

“You still want pancakes for breakfast tomorrow?” she asks, stopping to grab baking powder.

Rio sets his chin on top of her head. “Sounds good,” he agrees.

**Author's Note:**

> In an attempt to make myself write things that aren't always 10k+, I've been taking prompts. They will all be unbeta'd, so all mistakes are mine and I'll be uploading them as a series rather than chapters because seeing that 1/? is stressful.


End file.
